From Black to Blonde and Back
by thehappyandroid
Summary: They're an unlikely pair, everyone, even the two of them, know it. But Hotaru has an ulterior motive. Plus, Ruka makes excellent arm candy for the meantime. For the moment, her job is much more dangerous than his fan club charging for her. Slightly AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Ey, there. **I'm not exactly _new _to the site, but I'm new as a member. So welcome. Pen name is **thehappyandroid **but call me Ella, kay? Enjoy this story and review (no flames, thank you very much) If there's any mistakes, tell me!  
I don't quite know how many chapters this will be, but I'm trying to reach for under 10, because I lose interest in a story quickly.

* * *

Summary: They're an unlikely pair, everyone, even the two of them, know it. But Hotaru has an ulterior motive. Plus, Ruka makes excellent arm candy for the meantime. For the moment, her job is much more dangerous than his fan club charging for her.

* * *

"Hello, Hotaru,"

Hotaru was once again greeted by him, like every day. Like how everyday, all girls gaped, even though it was a recurring event. Like how everyday, Natsume smirked at him in the halls and Mikan whizzed to them, squealing something she never, ever understood into her ear. How the fan club, who were _always _situated at the east wing, corridor 3B, in front of the English classroom. They _al_ways glared, chin-up, arm crossed. Hotaru simply pecked Ruka on the cheek and gave them one of her _dare-to-cross-with-me _looks and they simply scuttled away, murmuring amongst themselves.

"Afternoon, Nogi." Hotaru was still getting used to being called…well, Hotaru. Last week she firmly told Ruka that, yes, he had permission to call her by her first name, but no, she would not return the favour. Ruka simply laugh and grabbed her by the waist and pecked her on the cheek.

It seemed like every conversation ended with some form of affection.

Hotaru thought she was losing her edge.

"How was class?" He questioned, a smile. Did his eyes _always _sparkle? It was like he was eternally cheery.

"Oh, it was fine. They admired my new prototype for a language translator. I'll have to have the final finish after the break."

"I doubt you'll fail." Ruka told her. His arm was around her around, and they were walking towards Hotaru's laboratory.

You see, a couple like Ruka and Hotaru could certainly not walk through the campus without getting a handful of stares, and whisper huddles. No one dared approach them. Even though Ruka could never say no, Hotaru could never say yes.

"Hotaru!" Mikan flung herself towards the two, giving them a tight hug. "Hi hi hi! I missed you so, so much! Oh yeah, you two Ruka."

Ruka smiled. "That makes me feel nice."

"Oh, you two know I just kid. You look super, super cute. "

"Okay, Mikan. Go do your homework that you never seem to understand or finish and end up cleaning chalkboards afterschool because."

"You're mean!" Mikan stomped her feet. "I say hi and this is what I get? I'm late for chalkboard cleaning anyways."

Ruka burst out laughing while Hotaru rolled her eyes, resisting a smirk.

"She's crazy."

"Oh well," Ruka shrugged. They were getting closer to the laboratory now. "Let's just go."

Hotaru gave her pass card to the robot and the android accepted Hotaru and Ruka, as her guest. They clomped up some stairwells and finally arrived in Hotaru's large-not to mention private-laboratory, filled with knick-knacks, machines, tools and wires. Ruka always marvelled at this, and how his girlfriend could create such things.

"Thanks for walking me here," Hotaru murmured "And dropping me off."

"No problem," Ruka told her. "Mind if I hang out for a while."

"Okay." Hotaru replied. She kind of wanted to do something else, well, without him…

But Ruka had other ideas.

"So, are you going to have one of those Friday sleepovers with 'your girls'?" Ruka teased. "Or just Mikan."

His girlfriend scoffed. "I never have those things. The only times I actually slept over with Mikan is when she thinks there's a monster in her bedside table…under her bed…in her closet…"

"Wow."

"Exactly," Hotaru muttered, tinkering with a small, circular device. She flicked a switch and it started hovering and flying around the room.

"That's pretty sweet." Ruka whispered in awe. Hotaru smirked proudly before reaching on her toes to flick it off, the device slowly lowering down. She continued surveying it until-

They were suddenly kissing.

Now, after two months of dating Ruka Nogi (not to mention a lot of kissing), she learned to close her eyes and just go along with it. So when Ruka Nogi's lips landed on hers, she closed her eyes and joined in.

He wrapped an arm under her shoulders, pushing her closer to him. Hotaru snaked her hands on her necks and they just kept on going. They went deeper and deeper until Hotaru stopped herself, slowly pulling back.

"Mm, wait, mm, Ruka." She murmured, as he continued to lean forward.

"Ahh, sorry, mm." He mumbled. "What?"

"It's dinner soon. You should get going." Hotaru said flatly. "I have to fix that." She pointed to the hovering thing.

"Right." Ruka's cheeks turned pink. "You'll be there?'

"No, I'm skipping." Hotaru walked away, towards one of her many working tables and started meddling with the circular device. "Tell them I won't be there."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am." She replied firmly.

Ruka sighed. He lingered behind her, kissing her on the cheekbone. It seemed like he took every liberty to kiss her. Or even touch her. Hotaru closed her eyes, inhaling and exhaling. Ruka bid her goodbye and disappeared out of the door.

"Finally."

* * *

"Imai-san,"

_Ring ring ring, _

Hotaru lunged for the opening of her laptop, pushing it open. A man sat there, whisper-thin oval-shaped glasses perched atop his nose.

"Imai-san, Imai-san." He chanted.

"Shut up!" Hotaru hissed. "I'm not even supposed to have internet connection. You're damn lucky I tethered a network-"

"With our help, Imai-san." The man reminded. Hotaru rolled her eyes.

"Please go on." Hotaru asked politely, standing up to close the curtains. The glasses-wearing man cleared his throat.

"Well, how's he doing?"

"He's doing fine. Alice Academy has one of the best security systems. The only way someone could possibly do something to him is an inside job."

"Which is very, very likely. Aside from having the top teachers and security, Alice Academy has a past of treachery, Imai-san. Stay wary and alert, my dear."

"I know, I know. He's basically with me every breathing second. Except for now," Hotaru narrowed her violet eyes at the man. "Consider yourself lucky, Honda."

"Listen, Imai-san. There's a break starting Monday, right?"

"Yes."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's a two week break, non?"

"Correct."

"Then, I need you to protect him during that time."

"What?" Hotaru said dryly, but her eyes shone with surprise and anger. "No, Honda. The deal was, school protection. Hire someone to be in butler, or something. An inside job."

"Sorry, Imai-san. Truly, I am. But we can't. We have to use you. You're the closest to him, except for that funny little black-haired boy that we spotted hanging out with the fellow. But please."

"I can't keep up with this senseless charade anymore, you understand me?" Hotaru was challenging him now. And he would take the bait, obviously. "I can't. I can't go around, people staring at me, his fan club threatening me, and kissing him. Really, Honda. I'm putting my foot down. I can refuse. I can drop out."

"Try." Honda's voice lowered to a whisper. Suddenly the already-cold atmosphere in Hotaru's sleeping quarters turned colder. "But, you owe us."

Hotaru picked at the space bar on her keyboard for a few seconds. She could drop it. She could leave stupid smiley Ruka Nogi and Honda can get some other goon to deal with it.

But it was true. And yes, she felt utterly trapped.

And if there was another thing Hotaru Imai hated, other than feeling stupid, was feeling trapped.

Her eyes told Honda all as she gave him one lasting look and slammed the laptop closed.


	2. Chapter 2

I'm not some review-hungry newbie, but if I don't get AT MAX 2 reviews, I'm going to discontinue this.  
And yes, it does look like I don't right a lot, but again, Word only uses 3/4 of the screen, FFN uses all of the screen as default, so yes.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice, or affiliated with any parties that do.**

* * *

"To the town!"

Of course, Alice Academy's central town was always bustling. The students wanted one last trip around it before going off to their two-week spring break. Being the type to dive into touristy places, Mikan decided to gave there, even though lines would be longer and places would be more crowded. Natsume grumbled that Mikan was being stupid, but the four all decided to go.

Mikan's arm was around Natsume and Hotaru's, walking around like some intoxicated seventeen year old, even though it was noon.

Hotaru looked up at the sky, which was the colour of Ruka's eyes, with a dash of messy looking clouds. She kept looking there, wondering if she could make a contraption for cloudy days. Not to clear the sky from clouds, but to make it a bit cloudier. The brightness was killing her. She could've just refused

Except Mikan Sakura doesn't take no for an answer.

She camped outside of Hotaru's door right after breakfast for an hour straight, begging her to come. Hotaru occasionally went outside, opened the door, just to slam as hard as her invention-toned arms could. Then again. And again.

Soon enough Mikan was on her knees, banging on the door. Reputation could be tarnished, Hotaru was thinking, so she reluctantly decided to go.

Natsume was grumbling about not wanting to go into central town, even though they were literally three minutes away from it.

Suddenly, Hotaru felt a slight buzzing noise coming from her canvas handbag. The three were laughing at something Mikan said, which made her blush and murmur something about not paying attention in geography class. Hotaru stealthily fetched out something that looked like a regular compact, even though she wouldn't dare use makeup.

"Oh. No. Look at my face. Crude oil smeared." She said dryly, sounding like a robot. Ruka raised a brow, but Hotaru hastily excused herself and ran into the nearby forest.

Trees covered her as she leaned against a sturdy oak and opened the black compact. Honda's face appeared, glasses now on his gelled brown hair.

"You do know it's a busy Saturday morning and I could easily get caught."

"I-I know, Imai-san. But it's an emergency." Honda wiped sweat off his brow. "You see, they found out."

"Excuse me."

"_They _found out. I suppose, a newbie of ours went out for coffee and was talking with another newbie, and it just k-kinda came out."

"Excuse me." Hotaru repeated, lowering her voices. More students were on their merry way to central town. It was getting harder for her to hear Honda, and speak to him nonetheless.

"They know. The camp knows."

"So, that means I'm off the hook? No go with the spring break-"

"Oh no, no, no, my dear." Honda shook his head. Somewhere in his office, a person slid a clipboard in front of him. Honda read it speedily before returning his attention to Hotaru.

"Has Ruka ever mentioned to you about his vacation home in Lille?"

Hotaru met up with them in the same café where they sold Howalon.

"I got two dozen Howalon!" Mikan cried, jumping in her chair. Natsume pulled her down, a blank expression on his face. In the middle, there was a box of a dozen Howalon. Hotaru scowled at the marshmallow-like candy, pulling up a chair for herself.

"Where'd you go off to?" Ruka questioned, a look of concern on his face. Mikan snatched another Howalon and stuffed it in her face, keeping the other half to shove into Natsume's mouth.

"There was some oil on my face."

"I didn't see any-"

"Oh there was," Hotaru insisted, giving him a look daring him to ask her again.

"Sure, sure." Ruka laughed, an arm around her chair.

"Nobody's gonna eat some?" Mikan whined. "I have two dozen for myself, but this one is for us!"

"No one likes it except for you, fatty." Hotaru told her. Mikan gasped, an overdramatic hand over her mouth, with was coated in the powder that lightly covered the Howalon. Natsume grabbed a Howalon and tossed it at Mikan, letting it fall to the floor.

"Natsume!" Mikan shrieked. Some people turned to stare. "That's such a waste of good Howalon!"

"Go eat it then." Natsume challenged.

"Why do guys tease me so much?"

"'Cause it's too easy," Hotaru explained.

"Way too easy."

They stayed at the café for another hour or so. Drinking iced tea, cookies and pastries. Mostly Mikan though. Hotaru tried blocking out the noisy sounds of the other costumers, but it was impossible. Natsume and Mikan were subtly flirting with each other, with Hotaru watching on tiredly.

Ruka had a face on which Hotaru identified as the type of expression people used when they desperately wanted to say something. His eyes wandered off constantly, and sometimes he was so far into his own little thinking world that his arm slipped off Hotaru's chair, causing him to smile sheepishly and wrap it around her even more tightly.

"I swear to God, THAT WAS MY STRAW!" Mikan cried. Ruka chuckled lightly before glancing at Hotaru, then at the other two.

"Excuse us,"

"It was not your straw, you bend your straws-"

"I BITE THEM, STUPID! IT'S MY STRAW!"

The two were too caught up that they didn't notice the two exit the café and step outside. The sat on the stone perimeter of the flower garden, a place not too conspicuous.

"What's the deal?" Hotaru asked, trying not to sound annoyed. But after her conversation with Honda, time was ticking. Fast.

"I know this is way last minute but," Ruka inhaled. "Well, you see, I have this…"

Vacation house, vacation house, Hotaru chanted in her mind.

"Vacation house in France. My mom's home country, right? In Lille. Well, I was wondering whether…um, you wanted to maybe come over and stay there with me? I'll pay for the ticket and everything. You can stay there for a week, or the whole break-"

"Stop it."

Hotaru kept her poker face. In fact, she had probably the best poker face in Alice Academy. She looked at her shoes, back at Ruka, trying to act uncomfortable.

"It's just that," Hotaru brushed a strand of her short dark hair away. "I think we need some space."

Ruka laughed. "Of course, Hotaru, you'll have separate rooms in France-"

"No, I mean, as a couple."

They were both silent.

"The break is two weeks long. I don't want to worry about you, away, and…." She prepared this speech in the café. She was pretty sure she had it down. Hotaru Imai nailed everything she wanted to nail.

"You think I'd cheat on you?" His face was hurt. Most definitely.

"No, you don't understand." Now she was getting pissed.

"Then what?"

Hotaru inhaled, then exhaled. Quietly, of course. "I think we should just take some time off. Maybe indefinitely. I just have a lot of my mind, and I don't want the extra thoughts. I want my break to be about me, not about us."

"Hotaru…" Ruka opened his mouth, and then shut it. He was at a loss of words. His mind was just turmoil of running thoughts that he couldn't quite grasp.

Breaking up with him?

No way.

Hotaru looked away, looking at the sky again. But that just reminded her of the boy beside her, whose heart was most definitely falling to pieces. It was her job. And his safety.

Hotaru's mind was suddenly a long strip of fast-taking pictures that ticked off each and every moment leading to this. Technically, it was her fault. But he'd never know. Honda warned her. But at the time, she was already in too deep.

"I'll see you." Hotaru said. Ruka was startled but her voice cutting through the silence. The silence between them, that is.

Hotaru stood up, seeing a familiar Ruka fan clubber. Her eyes darted between confused-looking Ruka and impassive Hotaru and sprinted towards another girl, whispering to her ear. Hotaru rolled her eyes, too drained to glower at them.

"Hotaru." They weren't a couple anymore, what's with the first-name basis? Hotaru wondered in her mind. "We'll…we're still gonna hang out right?"

Hotaru glanced at the café window, where Mikan and Natsume finally stood up, Mikan punching Natsume's shoulder.

"We kind of have to."

* * *

"What do you mean, _NO?"_

Mikan demanded, staring at Hotaru lugging with luggage. Hotaru simply shrugged.

"I'm going to my great aunt's house in the city." She explained to her best friend.

"For the whole_ break?"_

"Yes." Hotaru returned back to her room to haul a duffle bag; the last of her stuff. Just one luggage and a duffle bag. For her great aunt's house in the city, in Mikan's mind.

"That means I'm not going to see you _at all!"_

"Seriously, Mikan." Hotaru took one last look at her laboratory for the last time in two weeks before slamming it close and locking it with her pass card. "I see you everyday in the school year. It's only two weeks."

"Two weeks is a long time!"

"It's nothing compared to the school year." Hotaru told her. It was sounding a lot like Ruka's reasoning to their breakup.

After the brief talk between the two, Mikan and Natsume broke the awkwardness by skipping outside and telling them that they looked so down, how 'bout some window shopping?

The rest of the Saturday outing was pretty awkward. Thankfully (and as always), Mikan clung onto Hotaru, always crying out "Ooh! Pretty!" at anything that was remotely 'cute' or 'stylish'.

But Hotaru's mind kept going back to Honda's speech. Stupid man. His stupid glasses. She wanted to back out so badly, a whole break with her parents and Mikan in the dull countryside seemed ideal to what was about to happen.

Hotaru Imai by no means_ ever _did anything that she didn't want to do. Sure, it might seem like it, when Mikan pleaded for her at the door. But that was because-dare she say it-best friends. It was an unspoken thing when two people became close pals. You kind of had to return the favour in any way.

Honda was right, though. She did owe him. His whole corporation.

And so now, against her will, she was hauling her bags downstairs, with Mikan trailing behind her like a little golden retriever.

"You're so mean, Hotaru! I hate you! Why can't you stay at the countryside, even for a week? Five days! _Three days! _Gramps and I will miss you! This is so unfair!"

"Oh, God, Mikan. Shut up." Hotaru replied. "Ask Natsume to stay with you."

"Never!" Mikan snapped, her voice high. Hotaru rolled her eyes, her friend's emotion inconsistency forever going in a rollercoaster pattern. She would probably miss her annoying ways.

Not really, though.

The two travelled down the dim set of stairs and into the bright campus of Alice Academy. Students, in the weekend, were eagerly chatting amongst themselves, talking about their spring break plans. It was hard not to notice a certain group of girls (and one guy) examining the pair of best friends, and then whipping their heads around, whispering to each other. Mikan was way too dense to notice the gossiping fan club, while Hotaru broke away from her friend and pushed herself into the group.

"I suppose you can leave me alone now," Her voice was steady and demanding. "Since we've broken up."

All their jaws dropped, eyes bulged wide. Nobody dared to speak a word. Hotaru smirked to herself before striding away, head held high.

"Oh my gosh!" Mikan shrieked, seizing Hotaru's arm when she returned. "I thought you, like, melted away and evaporated!"

Hotaru couldn't even answer to something as stupid as that.

"Oh, hey, looky!" She waved both of her arms in the air, making them look like noodles having a seizure. "There they are! Hello!"

Mikan flung herself to the blond haired and black haired boy, involuntarily thanking Natsume loudly for bringing down her stuff. Hotaru simply nodded at the two as she set down her rolling luggage and sat down on it.

Everyone was waiting for their ride to arrive at the golden gates of Alice Academy. The cars had to wait at the very end of the long, long driveway, but students could still see their rides. Some students yelped in cheerfulness as they grabbed their stuff and bolted towards their cars, glad to finally leave the prison-like school for two glorious weeks of freedom.

"Oh." Natsume suddenly muttered. "There's my dad…"

A pearly white minivan honked its horn from the end of the driveway, a window rolling down and a dark-haired man waving. Natsume rolled his eyes and looked at the four.

"Okay, bye."

Mikan lingered there uncomfortably while Ruka patted his friend on the back. Mikan opened her mouth to say something but Natsume fearlessly bent down and pecked her on the cheek.

"Ack….aahhhhckk…" Mikan stuttered, her hand up in protest that was delayed. Her eyes frozen in spot. Ruka couldn't help but chuckle. A nearby fan clubber squealed in shock, calling over her fellow members.

"Have a nice vacation." Hotaru simply said. Natsume nodded before striding away.

"Bye bye, Hyuuga-sama!" The fan club chorused, waving simultaneously. Natsume barely registered this as he dragged the heavy gates open for himself and began to make his way to the minivan.

With Mikan in a coma-like position, Ruka felt utterly comfortable with Hotaru. He couldn't simply reach out and hug her, kiss her, even happily hanging his arm over her shoulder. He kind of felt…well, out of touch.

Their geography teacher bounded over to the three, muttering something to the still motionless Mikan. Mikan managed to stiffly nod before bending over to pick up her single hiking backpack.

"Um, Gramps is there to meet me at the train station. I, um, I'm being picked up by an Academy car."

"You're leaving now?" Ruka asked. Mikan nodded, searching the huddle of cars from afar before pointing at a pitch black car with the initials A.A stamped in the middle, in white.

As Hotaru, looked at the cars, she spotted a familiar shining silver car, with a man staring directly at her. Hotaru sighed under her breath, snatching the back of Mikan's tank top and concurrently grabbing both her bags.

"Hey-!"

"Hold up, I see my driver."

"You're going too?" Ruka questioned. And for the first time since Saturday, the two actually _looked _at each other, their eyes saying different things. Ruka's gaze seemed to hold hers longer than she wanted. She finally managed to pull away.

"Yes." Hotaru kept her grip on Mikan, who was now throwing a stomping tantrum.

"Well…" Ruka's voice lowered. "Goodbye."

The two didn't know whether it was a goodbye until they saw each other again, or a goodbye to their relationship.


End file.
